Interesting ebay scam?

[ravdg316]

These scams are getting more sophisticated.

I bought a some small parts on eBay from a seller who had zero feedback but seemed legit because of his item description. To be honest, because of his description I didn't even consider his feedback. Mistake 1.

Here's where things got weird:

Item shipped from out of the country. Seller was listed in Virginia.

USPS scheduled it to be delivered for a Thursday.

USPS declared that it was delivered on the Monday three days before it was scheduled to arrive. I work from home and would've definitely noticed a package -- even saw my mailman that morning.

I messaged seller, who claimed not to worry and that he'll look into it to confirm it was sent to the correct address.

A few days go by, still no word. I follow up, and he basically says the same thing.

At this point it's well over a week since the package was supposed to be delivered. So I contact ebay to request a refund from the seller...

To which the seller responds "According to USPS, the package was delivered on xxx date at yyy time." He offers no resolution, and ignores our previous interactions, where I told him the package was NOT delivered. Super shady.

Then, I look at his feedback. -2! Account opened on October 15, 2018! Two others complaining their packages never arrived from him.

Ebay, thankfully, seems like they're handling it. What I don't quite get is how he got USPS to show the package was delivered. Careful out there all.

[AngryScientist]

as you mention, that is bizarre, particularly with regard to the USPS tracking.

so - was the item in the US when the USPS tracking number became active?

something seems fishy. you're certain it was a real USPS tracking number?

[ravdg316]

as you mention, that is bizarre, particularly with regard to the USPS tracking.

so - was the item in the US when the USPS tracking number became active?

something seems fishy. you're certain it was a real USPS tracking number?

Yep! Maybe he changed the address to a PO Box in LA or something

[Tony T]

USPS tracking (online (https://tools.usps.com/go/TrackConfirmAction_input)) should show where the package was delivered (as well as the USPS locations as it made its way to the final destination)

[Don49]

What does the actual tracking history show? Did it arrive at your local PO and then show "out for delivery"?

[R3awak3n]

I think someone else here had the same thing happen to them.

Isnt it they find an address close by and send something to it so it will still say item arrived, but it will go to a random address, close to you, with a box with nothing in it.

[ravdg316]

USPS tracking (online (https://tools.usps.com/go/TrackConfirmAction_input)) should show where the package was delivered (as well as the USPS locations as it made its way to the final destination)

My tracking just shows that it was delivered to Santa Monica, but not the specific address.

[ultraman6970]

Havent read the comments but this was the old trick of sending something to another address so it shows up as delivered?

It sucks... zero feedback is big no no in ebay lately. Hope you paid with a credit card.

[SlowPokePete]

regarding USPS...

I had a package disappear from tracking (Garmin 520) back in the Fall.

Eventually I filed a lost package complaint.

About a month later, the package gets delivered.

In the few months that have passed since delivery, I've received two different emails telling me my package still has not been located.

But if you click on the tracking number, it shows delivery was made.

loss.of.faith

SPP

[NYCfixie]

...

Item shipped from out of the country. Seller was listed in Virginia.
...


Some international sellers are great and others are not.

I have found that many of them list the item as in the USA when it is not.

This may sound simple and many people may already know about it but when you have that weird feeling in your gut, do not look at the item location on the listing page but rather look at the seller's location on their feedback page because that they cannot change and will always show you the sellers location.

When the item location and seller location do not match, I usually move on because I feel it can be dishonest....or, sometimes I contact the seller and ask why.

[alancw3]

i got catchup in a similar scam and eBay solved the problem for me to their credit. now i will not buy anything from a seller that does not have a history of feedback.

[Bentley]

Generally EBay does a good job “fixing” the issue after the fact. My concern is they ought to have a sense of this and prevent these scams. They are pretty obvious

[ravdg316]

Havent read the comments but this was the old trick of sending something to another address so it shows up as delivered?

It sucks... zero feedback is big no no in ebay lately. Hope you paid with a credit card.

Ha! This is probably what happened. The trick is new to me. I’m familiar with the scams of sellers requesting buyers to wire money instead of using credit cards or PayPal. However, a package delivery address switch on a $200 item that had bids going on it for a week just seems too weird and almost like too much work for the final outcome. Did he not expect that the transaction would be disputed?

[vincenz]

If it was sent to another address, wouldn’t you see it on the tracking page? At least the town, state, and zip code. Unless the seller had an alternate address in every town and state in the US, they wouldn’t be able to pull this off without some other way. You sure the tracking number hadnt been changed somehow?

[old_fat_and_slow]

Had a package sent to me a few weeks back sent from Ohio. I followed USPS tracking. The day it was supposed to be delivered USPS tracking showed package delivered, but didn't say where, and it definitely wasn't to me.

No worries I thought, probably delivered to one of my neighbors on accident. Two days later, still no package. I went to my local post office. They tracked it and told me it was delivered to a business in an industrial park across town from me. Post office said, we can't do anything for you. Best outcome will be that incorrect recipient will find package, and turn over to post office for proper delivery.

Package showed up about a week later. USPS tracking doesn't mean jack. I was worried I was gonna get stuck paying even though I initially didn't receive the package. Luckily my seller was very understanding and had insured the package, and was willing to submit a claim for me if necessary.

Really lost what little faith I had left in the USPS.

[vincenz]

Had a package sent to me a few weeks back sent from Ohio. I followed USPS tracking. The day it was supposed to be delivered USPS tracking showed package delivered, but didn't say where, and it definitely wasn't to me.

No worries I thought, probably delivered to one of my neighbors on accident. Two days later, still no package. I went to my local post office. They tracked it and told me it was delivered to a business in an industrial park across town from me. Post office said, we can't do anything for you. Best outcome will be that incorrect recipient will find package, and turn over to post office for proper delivery.

Package showed up about a week later. USPS tracking doesn't mean jack. I was worried I was gonna get stuck paying even though I initially didn't receive the package. Luckily my seller was very understanding and had insured the package, and was willing to submit a claim for me if necessary.

Really lost what little faith I had left in the USPS.



For high value items, I never use USPS or UPS for this reason. Their tracking and accountability are just not good enough. FedEx insured all the way. Now for very high value items (over $5000), I would go USPS Registered Mail.

[45K10]

I had something similar happen but is was with a seller on Amazon. I ordered a laboratory locker (72"x 36" x 24"). A couple of days later I get notification it had arrived. I found a small envelope on the front stoop with a shipping label attached which had the tracking info I had been provided.

I contact the seller and without so much as an "that's strange" they issue a refund.

Not sure how this scam works but it sure felt like one. I reported it to Amazon and never heard anything back but the seller is no longer on Amazon.

[ultraman6970]

THe item to another address has been around for a while now... so far I think usps now has a service where they actually scan the label itself, so if you want to see it you need to request that service with them or something. The question is what happens when the address is not your address...

Either way it helps to know at least what the label says.

The badguys just send an envelope with any name or they just pick an address and a name close to you so the recipient takes the item, if nothing is inside the recipient will toast the envelope and nothing happened here.

THe other problem is that ebay has no way to know if a zero feedback guy is a bad guy or not, and that's the reason I try no to deal with zero feedback users at ebay at all and try to stick with guys i have dealt with before eventhought is not that cheap sometimes.


Ha! This is probably what happened. The trick is new to me. I’m familiar with the scams of sellers requesting buyers to wire money instead of using credit cards or PayPal. However, a package delivery address switch on a $200 item that had bids going on it for a week just seems too weird and almost like too much work for the final outcome. Did he not expect that the transaction would be disputed?

[Don49]

The other day I met the USPS delivery guy on my driveway coming to leave me an Amazon package. Rather than hand it to me he carried it to my front door and took a picture of the package by my door. The camera looked to be part of the scanning device they carry. He said they are required to get a delivery picture now.

Not sure what the means for scam prevention but I thought it was interesting.